Beet topper



Marek 30,1926. 1,578,283

E..J.YHAMMER BEET TOPPER l I i Filed Feb. 29. 1924' 4 sheets-sheet 1 6236) 1 3' 6661 5:51" ya 63 l n 4-14 i" j-':1'.':=3 C94- d'2 1 3,11 9 e 92 .f-i

7 1 I 1J "N `-e 5" l u M "mfr-ef 5 e 9 91 L cy WITNESSES 4 INVENT'OR JML'rvenJJlanmer ATTORNEYS l' 'March 30,1926. 1,518,283

t: E. J. HAMMER BERT, 'rQrPsn i Filed Feb. 29, 1924 4 sueur-sun sINVENToR BY, I

ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 30, 1926.

UNITEDv gsle'rf iinvin J. HAMiviEapr MILLER CITY, oH'Io. Y

' BEET TOPPER.

.Application led February 2.21924a SeriallN'o.r 696,024.`V

To all fio/wm t may concer/n.'

. Be it known that I, .ERVIN J. citizen of the United States, residingatMiller City, in the county of Putnam, State of Ohio, have inventedcertain'new and useful Improvements in Beet Toppers, of Which Referenceis lirst madeto Figure 1 which lillustrateshowthe improved beettopper isthe followingis a specification.

My invention relates to` improvements in beet toppers, and it consistsof the constructions, combinations and arrangements hereinl describedand claimed.

An object of the invention .is to provide a beet topper Whichisattachable-to any suitable one of the several types lof implementsusually to be had upon the farm as an aux- L iliary to such implementbutforgthe special purposeof .topping beets, thereby making it possibleto reduce the manufacturing cost.

of the topper to a minimum Without sacriticing any of its advantages;

Another object of the invention-is to provide. a rotary beet topperhaving a depth gauging belt Which operates in advance of.

the concave cutter disk and is driven by Another objept of the inventione portion of the frame being adjustable so that the altitude of theconcave cutter may be regulated.

Other. objects and advantages appear in the following description,reference being had tothe accompanying which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation I of' the im-V proved beettopper, showingit applied to move in advance of a farm implement,

Figuref2 is a plan view of the gauging belt and its associated drivingmeans,l Figure 3 isa detail section of one of the bearings in Figure 2,

Figure 4 isa detail side Aelevation on a slightly larger scale of themain part of the f beet topper in Figure 1, the topping disk being shownin section,

- Figure 5 is a detail section on theline 5*-5 of Figure 2, f f Figure 6isa detail view of the-transmission housing, being taken on the line#6e-6 5ov of Figure 7, g

Figure7 is horizontal section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6, this viewincluding'a plan of thetopping disk, f

Figure is a'detail section on the'lin'e 8f- 81 of Fig.'2, showinghow theangle irons'are riveted t0 the gauging.beltedv HAMMER, 'l a gauge belt5' drawings, in

f Y. 9, the other upon a line shaftl which terribs' a re attached to thetoppingdisk, *Figure 10 is an enlarged section yof the gear housingtaken on' the line 'lO-i-lOof Figure 7. Y

employed'asan attachmentfor ,auxiliary to any suitable'farmimplementvwhich may happen .to be availablefor the purpose.V

This particular farm implement shown may,

for example, be considered a harvester of which only the` frame 1,Wheelj'2,`andi 'axle 3 are shown. The showing is suiiicient toillustrate that the'beet topper moves inad- VanceV of the drive axlef3,.the topping disk;

Ll: rising and falling to suit the occasion. This'ri'sing and falling isproduced by the the beets B; I

-A'sprocki-it or driving memberf,[either Y .origiii'ally,or'subsequently mounted upon theV iaxle Sdi'ives thesprocketj 7 ofa'transinisas it rides upon the v top s of vsion mechanism by means of achain8. The

'sprocket 7 is mounted on one outer end of the transmission shaft 9(Fig. 7), bushings 10 being provided for the-latter inthefhousingll.The'tubular portions Cithe hous- 1 vingemerge from a central globularportion situated.

The am of these affixed upoalthe aan minates inthe gear housing "16(Fig."'10) b` el n'eath which the toppingfdiskLis-supported. Thebushings 10 (Fig.Y 7 arecloselytitted" into the .ends of .the tubularvportions 11. VWhere they may besecured by the sameA capA vscrews 17Whichv attach the upperendsyof thebraces18. vThe bushings servea doublepurpose in that they. provide hinge mount -sings for the'ltoppingmechanism upon thev '1.00

implement frame 1 beside furnishing 4lOearings for the shaft 9 Blocks 19ysupported by straps 2O beneath the frame 1 Aprovide the complements tothe" hinge bushings 10.` Caps 21, fastened upon. the blocks at 22, bolt,the bushings downv in place.l Azbu'shing 23,- si'milar to the Vbushings10 furnish a bearingforthe upper end of vthe lineshaft 15.' The'lovverendcf this y shaft yis supported in the housingltv bva.'

kbearing 211 '(Fig.}10). Aftubing 25encloses the line shaft, one end ofwhich `isfastened vtothe"bearingholderY 26, the other in the los 50ground to be uprooted by,a"following plo-w `Vsleeve 27 of tlie'housing16. @The bearing "V354 to which la `chain 36 is applied to ,driveV "thesprocket37 on' the foremost gauge shaft 38 (Figs. 1 and 2). The shaft 32support-A f'ed'by bearings 39V (Fig.- 7) 'in the housing 16.

holder is secured to the housing by cap screws 28.

Mounted on the lower i on the upright topper shaft 31. This shaft inturn drives" a countersliaft Y 32 through a pair of gears v33 and 34 onthe shafts 311 and 32,"respectively, which in practice will be ofsuitable types and de-` sired ratios. The shaft' 32carries a sprocketInreference to ig. the topper shaft 31' is shown to be of, twodiameters, ,tl'ielarg- V'est and longest `occupying the main part of the`v`housing, the.`r shortest and smallest-'ew ltending into the 'cover 40ivhere it issupportedfbyV a thrust bearing 41.

' nut-43. ADust is excluded by a cap44. vA

tact "with the latter'. i

thrust vbearing and sleeve 88,l near the bottom ofthesleeve 46 of thehousing, completes the supportof the shaft 31. 'The shaftv carries asecond cone 47.A The sleeve is disposed between the cone 47 and thepinion 30, aiding in the support of thesh-aft by Vconrests.Y lnltheicase ofthe bearing 24 itis the flange 50, bearing 41 the ilange151',bearing 45 the flange'52. .A couplingff, pinned tov the lower end oftheshaft 31 at 54,provides .the mounting =for the topping disk 4. A

plate covers an opening at one side of the Y housing 16. This plate isremovable to oil Y'57 riveted to the 'disk` at 58, throw the topsvthe-interiorv `of the: housing or pack ity 'with grease.V

The Atopping disk 4 liasther'cutting edge formedy intoshear teeth56(Fig. 7) which quickly sever the tops from the beets. Ribs to onevsidewhile 4the beets remain inthe i 59 (Figpl'). Thisl plow is carried by asuitable beam 60 pendent froml the implement frame.

Extending rigidly forward 'from .the gear V housing 16v is a fixed framecomposed of a pair of channel arms 61 whichconstitujte the main support.of @the gauge. mechanism.

" This comprises the `foremostgauge shaft 38, `mentioned before,whichf-is gournalled in bushings 62 (Fig. 3) carried Vbyfbeari-ng`brackets 63.*Tliese include arms 64j which extend Vdown betweentheflanges of thechan- .nels 61. The arms are slottedat 6 5 tofadinit boltsupon vwhich the nutsw6'6 .end of theline Y shaft 15 inside of thehousing 16 (Fig. 10)

is a bevel pinion 29 which drives a pinion'- K The shaft carriesacone 42which ish'eld in placeby a` a dust cap 49'in place at the entrance ofthe sleeve 46. Itis to be observed that in eachcase the variousYbearings'24, 41 and 45 have adjacentfl'anges against which part of thebearing structure pose ofthe adjustment of thebearings 63 is to regulatethe tension of the driving chain 36.

Regulation of the chain as `to tensio-n requires the movementof theshaft 38 and its carried parts.

have bearings 70 swung vupon the shaft 38. The bearings v70 have arms71, slotted at'7 2 ln making such adjustment the arms:r 69

s p y These include the channel larms 69 of the movable gauge frame'which (Fig. 5) to receive the bolts 7 3 upon which Anuts 74 Aaretightened tol hold the bearings. ScrewsY 75 inl bearings or lugs 76press vagainst the 'armsv 71 to make adjustments of `the gauge cliainf5.

`will be pressed downwardV toward thel lower end ofthe,gaugetmeclianism. `To this endf the shaft 38 and `bearing arms y71Vmust be regarded as relatively fixed.v Ashaft 77 at the ylower end' of`thegauge frame carries a toy alternate links of the chains form a belt-wliich readily grip-'tlieground and beets t0 Vaid the forward motion ofthe toppingrl mechanism.v Y Y Shafts 81 carry idler sprockets 82 whichbear upon the vlower lstrands of the chains 5.

A'link 83, pendent from .the arm84 of a v"pair of sprocketsj78,Vwhich-ptogether with similar sprockets79 on the upper shaft 38, v"carryythe chains 5.1 Angle irons 8O riveted lever85 supports the movablegauge 'frame so that the lowermost'end of .the sprockets 78' occupiesthe required altitude" or position aboveV the ground. VYThefle'averhastlie usual detent 8 6 which engages the toothed.quadV gauge sprockets78.

The operation may bereadily understood from vthe following additionaldescription.

The topping mechanism'works in 'advance of the vehicle to Vwhich it'isattached` For eX- ,rant v87 lto maintainthe adjustmentfofl,

iio

ample, inFig. 1 the topper 'isattache'dto' aj y harvester by fasteningthestrap supported blocks 19 beneath frame.r This fastening is of atemporary nature, 'permitting removal of the hopper mechanism whenno-twanted, or. in the way of the harvester, (or other imple` ment) whenoperated as such. The bushings 10 (F ig. 7) of the transmission`mechanism swing in these blocks, both the, gauge belt'rv `and .toppingdisk 4 moving iii consonance with the Vunevenness of the ground landupstanding-beet tops. 'f

The main driving sprocket 1 6 Vfurnisl'ies the necessary power for thetopping'- disk 4 to which it istransmitted by thegearing in theltransmission mechanism (Fig. Y and the from the spirit of the inventionhousing 16 (Fig. 10).l It also furnishes the power for the operation ofthe gauge belt 5 which crawls, as it were, in advance of the toppingdisk. The gauge belt supports the topping disk slightly above theground.

As the beet tops protruding above the l ground (Figs. l and 4) areapproached the lower end of the gauge belt 5 at the sprockets 7 8 ridesupon them and raises the topper disk i an appropriate distance to severthe beet top vat the right place. The disk 4 1'0- tates rapidly toperform the cutting opera tion, and as the tops are severed and fall ontop they are thrown to the sides by theL ribs 57.

By properly fixing the adjustment of the lever the gauge belt may beheld at the altitude desired. Adjustments of the driving chain 36 aremade by the screws 67 upon having first loosened the nuts 66.Adjustments of the gauge belt are made by the screws 7 5 (Fig. 5) uponfirst loosening the nuts 74. In adjusting the tension of the kchain 36the shaft 38 is moved forward in respect to the side channels 61, but inadjusting the tension of the gauge belt 5 movement of the gaugeframe 69occurs in respect to the shaft 38; and vact reverse in order t0 that ofadjusting the chain 36.

While the construction and arrangement of the improved beet topper asherein described and claimed is that of a generally preferred form,obviously' modifications and changes may be made without departing orthe scope of the claims.V

I claim:

' l. In combination with any ordinary farm vehicle having a drive shaft,a beet topper having means including a tubing by ing a topping disk,means crawling in ad"l vance of the topping, vdisk lto support it in acutting position above the ground, drive ine-ans'which is common to boththe disk and crawling means, aliousing both containing the common drivemeans and carrying the topping disk, tubular rmeans in connection withthe housing, transmission mechanism upon whichv the tubular means ismovable and which is afhxed toa suitable vehicle of which the beettopper is not a pai-t, said vehicle having a driving member, and meansfor connecting said driving member-'with said transmission mechanism.

3. The combination of 'a' self-contained beet topper having a toppingdisk, means moving .upon the ground and beetsxin advance of the diskgauging its altitude, a housing andframe-work carrying the disk vandgauging means, common driving means'. for both contained by the housing,transmission mechanism including a housing to Vwhich'the aforesaidhousing is attached, bearing means in which the housing is swingablyattached to a vehicle of which the topper is not otherwise a part, meansto drive the transmission mechanism from a moving part of the fve'-,yhicle, and means for transferring driving power from said mechanism tothe common driving means.

fit

4. In combination withl a suitable vehicle .if

having a driving member and a `frame, a

bearing structure removably attached to the i frame, transmission-mechanism including a housing having bushings resting in the bearingstructure for vertical swinging, means by which vthe driving `memberdrives ,the

transmission mechanism, and a beet topper mechanism including a housingcontaining .Y 1

topper driving means, a tubular member-by which the housing is extendedfromV the transmission mechanism, and an element contained by saidtubular member transferring power from the transmission mechanism Vtosaid driving means. i

5. A beet topper comprising a gear l'ious-A ing, a fixed frame extendingtherefrom, a frame movably mounted upon the Vfixed frame, a topping diskcarried by the housing, gearing in said housing operating theY disk,means lconstituting a beltv carried by the movable frame contacting thefground and driven by said gearing, and means to Y. adjust the .movableframe in respect tothe fixed frame to vary the cutting plane of thedisk.

' GQA beet topper having-a fixed frame, va

movable frame, a ground contacting belt carried by the'movable frame, ashaft on the fixed frame upon which the movable frame swings and fromwhich the beltisdriven, means to drive said shaft, means to shift theshaft and its carried parts in4 one direction upon the fixed frame toadjust the driving means, and means to independentlyl shift the movableframe in respect to said shaft tol adjust said belt. j l

7. .Al beet topper having a topping disk and associated travellinggauge, Acoinnion drive means for both comprising a line shaft having apinion,a topper shaft carrying the disk and having a gear driven by thepinion,

a countershaft from'which the travelling gauge is driven, and meshinggears carried by the countershaft and topping shaft transmitting thedriving power." f

. ERVIN J.' HAMMER.

